Fourth DC Builds DC Hiring Event Results in Job Offers for Local Candidates
Left to Right: Brett Greene, President/CEO, American Management Corporation; Erin Ward Bibo, VP of Strategic Initiatives, CityWorks DC; Jay Grauberger, EVP of Corporate Affairs, Clark Construction; Tony Lewis, Workforce Development Coordinator, CSOSA; and Jennie Niles, President & CEO, CityWorks DC
18 of the DMVs top construction companies interviewed 92 local candidates for over 310 open positions. 72 candidates were given offers or moved forward in the interview process for roles in skilled trades and construction management.
Washington, DC – Last week, CityWorks DC and the Federal City Council co-hosted the fourth interview event for DC Builds DC, an employer-led, construction sector partnership focused on improving the District of Columbia’s construction talent pipeline. The hiring event aimed to fill more than 310 open positions across the construction industry, ranging from entry-level carpentry and skilled trades roles to field engineer roles, which require postsecondary degrees and credentials. While results are still rolling in, to date, 72 candidates (78%) were offered jobs or have advanced to final round interviews.
“The DC construction industry is hiring,” shares Dominic Argentieri, President of DAVIS Construction. “There is a growing pipeline of projects on the cusp of construction, and when coupled with the anticipation and excitement surrounding several major developments now in the planning stages, even conservative estimates indicate that we will need at least 13,000 new workers over the next three to five years in DC alone to meet demand for skilled trades and management roles. It is essential for our industry that we significantly expand the number of DC residents and students who are interested in and prepared for careers in the skilled trades. I am proud that DC Builds DC is leading the way in prioritizing this important work.”
As a part of the DC Builds DC Sector Partnership, CityWorks DC and the Federal City Council worked with industry leaders to develop a job readiness rubric and other resources that specify exactly what the employers are seeking in their entry-level hires. The CityWorks DC and Federal City Council teams also regularly convene over 30 local education and training providers to share resources, build capacity, and ensure candidates are well prepared for jobs and internships with the DC Builds DC member companies.
“We look forward to the DC Builds DC Interview events every Fall and Spring,” says Ilyssa Schwartz, DC/Baltimore Self-Perform Workgroup Lead for DPR Construction. “The candidates are prepared and excited to be here. It’s great that the schools and training programs get actionable feedback on how their candidates perform in interviews. It’s very clear that they take that feedback and apply it to their work, because the levels of job readiness among the candidates just get better every event.”
Tony Lewis, Workforce Development Coordinator at CSOSA, added, “In decades of doing this work, I’ve been to millions of job fairs. The system that the DC Builds DC team has established is the best one I’ve seen yet. They are focused on DC residents and those disconnected from the workforce. There is an energy there; people feel seen. It starts from when they walk in; it can be felt in the check-in and waiting areas, where they have partners and providers, and people can see a familiar face. They offer pre-resume reviews so people can be more pointed and clearer about the roles they are looking for and the experience they bring to the table. They go to great lengths to make sure we get the right people in the space, and that people know who and what will be available to them when they come.”
"Over 270 residents have gotten jobs, job offers, or final round interviews from the past four DC Builds DC Interview Events we’ve held,” said Dr. Erin Ward Bibo, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at CityWorks. “As a part of the Sector Partnerships, we’re working regularly with over 50 local education and training providers to review and act upon industry feedback, needs, and data, all for the purpose of ensuring that more of their candidates are hired into the good jobs these companies offer. We are seeing measurable behavior change across all parties and measurable results.”
“Employers are leading this effort, and that makes all the difference,” said Tanya Borachi, Director of Workforce and Education at the Federal City Council. “Leaders from over 45 construction companies are driving the agenda of this partnership and what they want to accomplish with hiring. They’ve set ambitious goals to hire DC residents, and the evidence of this event and the others that have preceded it shows they are making good on it.”
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About CityWorks DC
CityWorks DC's mission is to dramatically improve the early career outcomes of DC youth and young adults of color by creating innovative programs and by mobilizing employers, educators, and city leaders to create a local, diverse talent pipeline. CityWorks DC seeks to ensure that young people acquire industry-valued credentials; paid, relevant work experience; and social capital, so that they can secure meaningful work that enables them to thrive. To do this, CityWorks DC launches innovative programs that work directly with young people to help them build family-sustaining careers, create personal wealth, and drive economic growth, and leads citywide initiatives designed to ensure lasting change. To learn more about the organization’s programs and partnerships, visit www.cityworksdc.org.
About Federal City Council
FC2 is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing civic life in the nation’s capital. Our members, which include 250 leaders in the private, non-profit and civic sectors, are working to use their influence as employers and hiring decision-makers to help ensure that DC residents attain good jobs in proven, workforce-aligned career pathways that pay family-sustaining salaries. To learn more about the organization’s programs, visit www.federalcitycouncil.org.
